Disclaimer: All names of characters and ideas of Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling.

Warning: I strongly urge all who are not of age to read this story with a PG rating to exit this story and read others here at harrypotterfanfiction.com.

***

He sat down on the couch in front of the common room fire thinking. Could he really like Hermione more than a friend? Or was he just being protective over her like a sister? What does she even think about me after what happened last year? One thing he did know is that he wouldn’t know anything unless he talked to her. But could he even do that?

***

Hermione sat on her bed brushing her hair, thinking about Ron. They always fought even about the littlest things and now it was about Viktor Krum. Krum was the first guy to like her and it felt good to be liked. She just didn’t feel anything for him more than friends. Not like she really felt anything for Ron and right about now she was actually quite mad at him for his jealousy. But was he jealous because Krum had taken her away from Ron and Harry or was it a jealousy because Krum actually liked her? She wanted to sit down and talk to Ron about this and yet she wasn’t exactly that close with him right now.

She got off of the bed and headed to the common room. It was the beginning of their 5th year and Hermione was glad to be back at Hogwarts. Ron sat on the couch in front of the fire and was sitting next to Harry who was actually reading for a class. Ron was just sitting and staring at the fire. Hermione put on her social face and bounded toward them.

“Hey Harry! Hey Ron!” She addressed them as she came closer to them, purposely saying hi to Harry first.

“Hey Hermione,” They both said at the exact same time. Harry looked up for a brief second and returned back to his reading.

“I’m happy to see you reading so early in the school year Harry. Why aren’t you reading Ron?” Hermione questioned.

“I was just thinking,” Was Ron’s answer.

“About?” Hemione inquired.

Silence.

“This school year and how much hard work it’s going to be,” Ron lied.

Hermione sat down between Ron and Harry on the couch and thought of a way to talk to Ron. What does Ron like to do that will get the two of them alone, Hermione thought….Food and Quidditch. There would be a lot of people in the Great Hall about this time of day and she wasn’t exactly that good at flying. But maybe it would work.

“Hey Ron could you help me with something?” Hermione asked turning to face him.

“With what?” He asked.

“I was wondering if you could show me how to play quidditch?” She quietly asked.

“Why don’t you ask Harry to help you with that he is the Gryffindor seeker?” Ron Said.

“He looks really busy right now.” Hermione spit out knowing that she really only wanted Ron to teach her and so that they could be alone.

“Actually I would enjoy the break Hermione.” Harry said shutting his book which he obviously wasn’t reading considering he heard Hermione and Ron’s conversation.

Hermione couldn’t think of what to say except “Thanks Harry.” And the two of them left Ron to sit alone on the couch. Hermione looked back at Ron who continued to look at the fire. Ginny came and sat down with him as Harry and Hermione left the common room.

“Hey Ron,” Ginny greeted her older brother.

“Hey Ginny, How are you? Glad to be back?” Ron asked.

“Yea, I’m glad to be back. You seem unusually down today. Anything you want to talk about?” She asked concerned about him.

“Not really,” was his reply.

“I overheard you and Hermione’s conversation and it really seemed like she wanted YOU to teach her how to play quidditch.” Ginny said knowing her brother wasn’t too bright when it came to girls even if they were just friends.

“You think so?”

“Why would she have asked YOU Ron?”

“Because Harry was busy, she said so herself.” He said knowing that he was right.

“Yes but…” Ginny got frustrated and it really was none of her business. “Well if you want to talk about anything at all you know where to find me.” With that Ginny left Ron to be all alone with his thoughts.

Ron thought about what Ginny had said. What if Hermione really did want him to teach her instead of Harry? He could have talked to her about all of his questions if he had but he blew it. He decided to go do the Potions homework that was due by Friday to get his mind off of it.

***
Harry and Hermione had reached the quidditch field and Harry started to ask of her sudden interest in quidditch.

“I just want to know what it is all about. I mean I pretty much know how it is played but I have never tried it.” Hermione explained.

Harry was busy opening the box full of the quidditch balls.

“What position do you want to try then?”

“ummm….ummm,” Hermione thought hard not expecting things to play out like this. She looked at Harry who was waiting for her answer. She felt nothing but friendship for him but why were things different with Ron. It wasn’t like she got nervous around him or got warm inside when she saw him but it definitely was different. She finally just said a position, “Keeper.”

Harry looked at Hermione. She had definitely changed since they had first met each other. She was taller and her face had changed looking a lot more mature and beautiful. He hadn’t really noticed until this moment.

“You didn’t really want to play quidditch did you?” He asked.

Hermione looked at him dumbfounded. She considered telling him about her thoughts about Ron but lied instead. “Yes I did why would I have asked to?”

“Because you wanted to talk to me alone…” He stopped talking and then realized he first asked Ron and he said yes instead. “Oh you wanted to talk to Ron alone…I’m so stupid.”

“No you’re just conceited,” Hermione said jokingly with a grin. Harry smiled back and gave her a little push.

He looked at her and said “You know you really are beginning to turn into a beautiful woman you know?” Harry looked down at his feet after he said it.

“Are you hitting on me?!?!”

“Of course not I mean it and wanted to let you know”

“And you are starting to turn into a handsome man.” Hermione returned the comment and hugged him. “Girls will be falling for you left and right any day now.”

Harry was taken aback when Hermione hugged him but he knew that although she was starting to be beautiful he would never think of her more than a friend. “So what did you want to talk to Ron about?”

Hermione pulled away and thought of how to tell Harry. “I just wanted to ask him what’s going on between us. There’re just a lot of questions that need to be answered.”

“I understand. He needs to talk to you too. He hasn’t said anything to me but he has been thinking about you all day.” Harry said looking back at the box of quidditch balls lying on the ground. “Do you want to play anyway?”

Ron couldn’t concentrate on his Potions homework and started to look out the common room window. Hermione was flying around on Harry’s firebolt. She always was very comfortable with Harry. As a matter of fact they never fought either. Ron was starting to feel jealous of Harry. Why was he jealous? Hermione isn’t his property. She is just his friend. Ron watched as Hermione flew back to the ground and gave Harry a hug. Hermione never hugged him. Why was he soooo confused? He really needed to talk to her.

Ron walked away from the window and got back to his homework. Then thoughts of Professor Snape crept into his head and how he would probably do horrible on this assignment even if it were right. His life was miserable and he even had the O.W.L.’s to look forward to. He threw his book across the room where a whole bunch of first year gryffindors jumped out of its way startled by Ron’s burst of anger.

A few minutes later Harry and Hermione returned back to the common room.

“I don’t know. Seems we’ve said a lot of that today. I just hope to get some hugs when you are giving them out.” Ron said smiling at Hermione.

Hermione softly laughed and grabbed Ron and pulled him in for a quick hug. This hug still felt different than the ones that she shared with Harry earlier but it felt right. Ron went up to the dorms to talk to Harry while Hermione headed to the Library.

Hey let me know what you think and review. I'll write the second chapter if you like it. If you have any ideas email me at MotionOfTheWaves@hotmail.com.